Song Ruotang thought she couldn't escape Pei Zhiyan's clutches this time. However, unexpectedly, Pei Zhiyan was extremely gentle, so gentle that Song Ruotang couldn't bear it.
He suppressed his impetuous desires, yet it enticed Song Ruotang to take the initiative.
Pei Zhiyan tensed his nerves and maintained his last bit of sanity. He couldn't act on impulse. Song Ruotang had been injured just the day before, so he had to be extra careful today.
When Song Ruotang woke up after a good rest, the morning light had already shone on the window lattice. There were the chirping of birds outside. Song Ruotang opened her eyes. Pei Zhiyan was already dressed neatly. Sensing her gaze, he also turned his head and asked, "Are you awake?"
Song Ruotang sat up. She felt weak all over. Pei Zhiyan walked over and casually picked up her coat. "Don't you want to sleep a bit more? You haven't slept for long."
Song Ruotang shook her head. Pei Zhiyan carefully helped her put on the clothes, then went out to call a maid to help her groom. Watching Song Ruotang's actions, he pondered for a while and then said, "I originally wanted to call Xiaotao back, but Lin Yun used the same excuse as last time..."
Song Ruotang handed the towel to the maid beside her. She wasn't surprised by what Pei Zhiyan said. Lin Yun had already tacitly allowed Du Lingxuan to replace Xiaotao last time. If Pei Zhiyan wanted to get her back, she would surely obstruct it.
Moreover, Xiaotao had the "crime" of harming her.
"Don't worry about Xiaotao's matter for now." Song Ruotang said calmly. Pei Zhiyan understood. At this moment, a maid outside came to report that Mo Qing was already waiting outside the courtyard gate.
Pei Zhiyan went out. Mo Qing bowed to him and asked, "My lord, what are your orders?"
"Take some people to search the west wing. See if there's anything suspicious." Pei Zhiyan ordered.
Mo Qing took the order and left. Pei Zhiyan also took Song Ruotang to the west wing. This place had been blocked off. Due to the coroner's diagnosis the day before, no one dared to approach it on their own initiative. So, except for the people from the Ministry of Justice, none of the other people in the Pei Mansion could see it.
Mo Qing led the people to search the room thoroughly. Coroner Chen also came in from outside the courtyard. He frowned, looking rather puzzled. Pei Zhiyan turned his head and glanced at him. "Coroner Chen, why do you have such an expression?"
Coroner Chen bowed to Pei Zhiyan and sighed. "To be honest with my lord, I went to examine the body again today and found that the syphilis of the deceased seemed to have spread."
As he said this, his brows furrowed even deeper, and there was a look of doubt in his eyes. "If it's syphilis, it shouldn't spread this fast..."
But he had carefully examined it both yesterday and this morning, and it was indeed no different from syphilis. This made him both suspicious and puzzled.
Pei Zhiyan nodded slightly without giving any explanation. His gaze was on the room. After Mo Qing and the others rummaged around for a while, they finally came out.
"My lord, I found this in the deceased's makeup and rouge." Mo Qing presented a small medicine packet.
Coroner Chen's eyes sharpened. He stepped forward to examine it. Pei Zhiyan knew he needed some time, so he pulled Song Ruotang back to sit on the stone bench and waited for Coroner Chen's result.
After a while, Coroner Chen walked over. "My lord, this medicine packet contains a very strong laxative."
Pei Zhiyan's eyes flashed. It seemed that Liu'er had indeed put medicine in the porridge bowl. But he had thought that Liu'er was bullying Song Ruotang for just entering the mansion and giving her bad food, so he had made Liu'er drink the porridge herself. By coincidence, she had poisoned herself.
"Is it just a laxative?" Pei Zhiyan's voice was a bit low. Coroner Chen paused for a moment. "I only detected the components of a laxative."
Pei Zhiyan nodded. "Okay, I see."
Since they had found the medicine in Liu'er's room, it would be easier to handle.
He dismissed the people and sent Song Ruotang back to the courtyard. Seeing that he didn't show any reaction along the way, Song Ruotang still reminded him when he was about to leave. "Why don't you find a doctor to take a look?"
Pei Zhiyan stopped in his tracks, turned back and smiled slightly. "I was just about to do that."
Song Ruotang nodded. Pei Zhiyan then directly took the medicine packet and went out.
Meanwhile, Du Lingxuan and Lin Yun also received the news. Nanny Jiang beside Du Lingxuan looked worried. "Madam, the master has found the laxative. If he finds out about you..."
Du Lingxuan gritted her teeth. "That stupid Liu'er couldn't even hide such a thing well. She's dead and still causing me trouble..." She slapped the table, making the teacups on it tremble and spill some tea.
The personal maid Furong beside her comforted her. "Madam, calm down. Liu'er is already dead. Now that the dead can't testify against the living, how could they find out that this medicine came from you?"
Du Lingxuan thought about it and realized it was true. When she gave the medicine to Liu'er, no one else had seen it. How could they possibly trace it back to her?
Thinking of this, Du Lingxuan felt relieved. Even if she had failed this time, there was still a long way to go. Song Ruotang would surely fall into her hands sooner or later!
Pei Zhiyan went to the pharmacy and found the most experienced old doctor to take a look. The old man with white hair stroked his beard. He actually didn't see patients anymore, but Pei Zhiyan had done him a favor. Now that Pei Zhiyan came to him for help, he naturally couldn't refuse.
"Well, this laxative has a very strong effect. If someone accidentally ingests it and there's no intervention, it might even cost a life." The old doctor's hoarse voice slowly came out.
Pei Zhiyan naturally knew the effect of this medicine, but...
"Doctor Li, take another look. Is there anything wrong with this medicine?" Pei Zhiyan frowned slightly and said.
Doctor Li leaned closer as he was told, smelled it and looked at it. His eyes that were originally squinted into a slit suddenly widened. His expression became serious. He then took a bowl of clear water and poured some of the medicine powder into it.
After a while, the clear water in the bowl gradually turned into a very light pink. If one didn't look carefully, it was really hard to notice.
"It's actually the highly poisonous Heavenly Star!" There was disbelief in the old doctor's hoarse voice.
This kind of poison, Heavenly Star, was extremely rare, but it was extremely poisonous. Those who were poisoned would feel unbearable itching on their skin, gradually develop rashes, and finally die of whole - body ulceration. Since the ulceration symptoms were as numerous as stars, the poison - maker named it Heavenly Star.
Pei Zhiyan had naturally heard of this kind of poison, but how could there be such a highly poisonous thing in his mansion? Only Lin and Du could get such a thing.
Pei Zhiyan's eyes turned cold. After thanking Doctor Li, he returned to the mansion. He directly found Uncle Pei and checked the mansion's expenses, as well as the prescriptions that Lin Yun and Du Lingxuan had obtained recently.
He acted very quickly. Pei Zhiyan knew that if he didn't act fast, both Lin Yun and Du Lingxuan would quickly destroy the evidence.
The prescriptions were okay. Pei Zhiyan turned to the servant boy and asked, "Has either of the two madams caught a cold recently?"
Doctor Li had said that if Heavenly Star was mixed with a laxative, it would quickly eliminate the effect of the laxative. So when Liu'er put the medicine in the porridge bowl, the laxative had just been made.
This also just explained why the laxative component in Liu'er's medicine packet was so large. On the one hand, it was to cover up the Heavenly Star, and on the other hand, it was to prevent the laxative component from losing its effect.
Moreover, although Heavenly Star was rare, it must be added with a medicinal herb, which was Yunfu seeds.
Yunfu seeds were extremely effective in treating colds and headaches, but they were not common in the capital.
The servant boy thought for a while. He was just about to shake his head when he seemed to suddenly remember something. "Some time ago, the second madam wasn't feeling well. Old Madam Du came to the mansion to visit. She seemed to have brought some tonics..."